Maps
by FeigningInterest
Summary: We've always been friends, Scorpius and I. But things have a way of changing.
1. Sick Cycle Carousel

**Chapter One**: **Sick Cycle Carrousel **

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything but the plotline. _

This is the re-write of this! So, I hope you like what I decide to do with it! I'm changing a lot, so be wary. Though the first few chapters will be mostly the same. I'm re uploading this story as a new story because I want you guys to participate in a fresh start sort of way.

Oh! And I'm playing a little game in this re-write that I think will be good fun for us! There's a line of dialogue in this chapter that Rose stole right out of her mother's mouth. The first person to tell me the line in a review will get to pick a line of dialogue and who says it that I will work into a later chapter!

__"Don't embarrass me this time, Rose."

I looked over at Lily and laughed. It was the winter break of her fourth year at Hogwarts, and we were just now loading into the train heading for our breaks.

"If I hear 'blimey Potter, you're 'spose to be smart' one more time I might just kill myself." Al joined us in the corridor of the train.

"We were talking, shrew," Lily said, slapping her brother's arm.

"Your point?" Al rolled his eyes and Lily walked on ahead of us without a word.

"So who expected you to be smart?" I asked Albus. "And how _dare_ they?"

Al chuckled and nudged me in the side. I almost got rammed into a corridor full of snarling Slytherin. (That would have ended rather poorly. They should really think about getting the Slytherins de-fanged.)

I sent a phony pout his way and he rolled his eyes, and then sighed, "Lysander." Al shook his head and picked up his pace. "He's a little nutty, that one."

"Yes, but that's what makes him gorgeous."

Al cringed and I smiled to myself.

"Over here! This one's empty! Sort of!" Al and I followed Lily to the corridor she had just found.

We entered and I couldn't help but to smile at my seldom-present friend, "Scorp! Where _have_ you been?"

"Hey, Rosie." He turned to me and smiled.

I returned his smile. "What? No hug?" Scorpius stepped back, his smile faltering. He cleared his throat and extended a hand towards me. I playfully slapped away his hand and rolled my eyes at him. Only a little annoyed that he turned down a hug.

The past few months had been chaotic to say the least, and I was glad to have a break. I averted my attention from the conversations around me and tried to focus on what was currently preoccupying my mind.

Say that you met your best mate when you and said person were around eleven. Say that you and your best mate are of the opposite sex. Couldn't you and this person hug on occasion without everyone assuming something was going on between the two of you?

Scorpius and I had always been "hugger" friends. It had never meant anything, just something we'd always done. My brother was all right with it; so were all my cousins. Even my mum and dad didn't mind it anymore, not since they'd known Scorpius since our second year of school.

Then he met _her. _Since that very moment the insufferable boy hadn't stopped mentioning her. All we heard was "Ashby this" and "Ashby that." It got grating very fast. She was invited to go to our Hol's party that year, and I was still hoping she wouldn't make it due to something wicked happening to her nose. She'd changed everything. She'd ruined everything. She openly detested Scorpius and I being best mates, and she even more openly detested… well… me. And Scorpius, being the doting and wonderful boyfriend, and not-so-doting and wonderful friend, never said a word to her about it.

Ashby hated me from the moment Scorpius announced her to us. "Us" being Al, Lily, Aden and me. (Aden being my prior boyfriend.) I'd missed the past few weeks. We had called off our four-month relationship just recently. It was my doing, really. He asked for a more serious relationship and I panicked. I suppose I wasn't ready then.

"Rose? Hello, are you okay?"

I looked up, startled. "I'm fine."

"You're acting strange." Lily looked at me weirdly and I reciprocated her look.

"How am I acting strange?"

Lily crossed her arms. "You're not talking. That's strange for you when we're on the train. Usually you never stop talking when we're all grouped together like this."

"I'm just thinking…"

Al smirked at me. "About what, Rosie?"

I looked away from him and towards the door. "Will you excuse me?"

I wandered out of the corridor and into the hallway. I stumbled around a bit, trying to clear my head. Thousands of unwanted thoughts and feelings kept tugging at the back of my mind, screaming at me to listen to all of them at once.

"Rose?" I turned towards the call.

"Aden!" Just the sign I needed. "I was looking for you."

"Really? What for?"

I turned my gaze to my shoes, not yet sure how I was supposed to be wording this. "I've missed you."

I felt his shoulders stiffen, and I tried harder to burn a hole through the floor. If I did so I might have proceeded to jump out of it. He cleared his throat. "I've missed you too, Rose."

"I wasn't lying when I said I wasn't ready for anything serious before." I looked back up at him. "But I've been thinking about it, Aden, and I've realized something very important."

He eyed me quizzically. "What is it you've realized?"

I took in a deep breath. "That I don't want to lose you, and that I would like us to go farther, if you still want us to."

Aden smiled at me. "Of course I want to. That would be perfect, Rose."

I released my breath, not really realizing I'd been holding it. I watched Aden walk to me and I smiled. He leaned down to me, taking my hand and kissing it softly.

He looked back up at me, grinning. "Does this mean I'm still invited to your Christmas party?"

I returned his smile. "It's my _parents'_ party, actually. My entire family will be there. If you're up for it, then of course you're still invited."

"I'll see you Christmas then. I should be getting back to my compartment."

"Goodnight, Aden." I chuckled at his tone and bid him farewell. I decided not to tell anyone about him coming. I was not really sure of their reactions. Well, at least they'd have one surprise come Christmas.

"What did the crab say to the fisherman?" For the past hour, Al and I had been exchanging stupid jokes while everyone else had fallen asleep.

"What?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at my broadly grinning cousin.

"Don't eat me! I'll give you crabs!"

I chuckled a bit, shaking my head. "That was just terrible. I think it's the worst one."

I watched Al smile and close his eyes. "Not as bad as the shellfish joke." All evening he'd been dozing off, trying not to fall asleep. This time, however, he let himself doze off into sleep.

"Night, Potter." I whispered.

"Night, Weasley" Al managed to mumble before fading into the ball of adorableness Albus was when he slept. Or when he did anything that didn't require talking, actually.

I exhaled just to head myself breathe, the same million thoughts running through my head as before. I closed my eyes, trying my best to fall asleep. I felt myself tumble down into slumber, but not the same peaceful sleep as the others. I found myself falling into a more restless, wearing sleep.

"Rose!" I sat up with a start, bumping heads with whoever woke me up.

"You all right?" Lily eyed me with concern, rubbing the spot on her forehead that mine collided with.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Lily tilted her head a little to the side. "Well, you almost broke my forehead, and you look like hell."

I blinked at her, annoyed. "I love you too, baby cousin."

Lily rolled her eyes, something I'm sure she inherited from her older brother James. "Are you going to change out of your robes before we get there?"

"How long is it until we get there?"

Lily smirked, "Ten minutes."

Well, _shit._

"How long did I sleep?" I sat up, finally noticing that every eye in our compartment was glued to me.

"An exceptionally long time. Are you sure you're feeling well?" interjected a worried sounding Albus.

"I'm absolutely positive. I have to go wash up."

Lily flashed a smile my way. "That's a good idea."

I stuck my tongue out at her and headed for the onboard lavatory with my things. I walked quickly, trying to avoid any sort of confrontation. Which, in such cramped spaces, is rather hard to do.

"_You. _Looks like you're behind schedule. Let me guess, you were too busy ogling my boyfriend?"

I rolled my eyes, a pit of anger growing in my empty stomach and worming its way up my throat as flashes of Ashby being eaten by one of Hagrid's… erm… pets flashed through my head.

"Someone's rather unpleasant this morning. Or all mornings, actually," I said, trying to keep an open mind. Why is it that the Granger in me always wants to keep even-tempered, but the Weasley screams for me to hex her hair on fire?

I didn't even bother to look at the wretched girl. I just kept on walking straight, increasing my pace towards the loo. I heard Ashby following me, which made me nervous.

I opened the door to the loo and closed it quickly behind me, a rather bad move on my behalf. The door slammed, rather hard, in Ashby's face. I choked down a fit of laughter, causing me to cough in return.

"You little _bitch_!" she practically shrieked. It was almost startling. I half expected her to come in pointing her wand, screaming and blubbering wart hexes at me.

"What are you on about?" I feigned innocence, trying my hardest not to laugh at the girl.

She stormed into the loo, nose bloody and steam emitting from her ears. The situation I now found myself in, no matter how funny it may have been, was not a good one. I had a gut feeling this would end badly.

"You know bloody well what I'm on about!" she wailed, throwing her arms about like a banshee. "You almost broke my nose!"

"Well, next time think before stalking someone to the lav," I said calmly, giving her a smirk I inherited from Scorpius. "And, if you want, I can fix that for you. Here… let me…"

"You bloody minger, I wasn't stalking you! Who would stalk such a viciously ugly girl?" she slapped away the tissue I was holding towards her, "And you couldn't help me if you tried."

I counted to ten in French, something my Aunt Fleur taught me to do when I was six, to delay my anger.

I scoffed, "This has been wonderful, love, but I'd very much appreciate you fucking off now." I plastered the biggest condescending smile I could muster and aimed it right at her.

"Listen here, you intolerable mudblood, you _will_ regret this."

I felt the entirety of myself freeze. Not once in my life had I ever been talked to like that. Sure, I've been in witless verbal sparring with others but not once had I been insulted in such a hateful and degrading way. The rage from before was replaced by a closing of my throat. Not once had an insult cut this deep. I felt the tears well to my eyes and tried unsuccessfully to blink them away.

"Are you actually _crying_? Are you _that_ scared, little mudblood?" Ashby laughed, and a mix of rage and sorrow bubbled over me.

"I said _fuck off_!" I screamed, louder than I'd ever screamed, louder than I thought possible. I heard a rustling from outside and realized that the train had stopped. My clothes still in hand and tears still streaming freely down my face, I left the loo and rushed towards the exit, hoping that one of my cousins would get my bag.

I spotted my parents before they spotted me. Hugh was already with them, his regular goofy smile playing at his features. My mum saw me and her eyebrows knitted together in concern. I rushed towards her, throwing my arms around her waist. I tried to speak but my throat was knotted together. Flashes of _my own mother_, wonderful and strong as she is, hurting this way, making it impossible for me to even speak.

"Rose, what's wrong?" I felt my body shake from crying. I calmed down and let go of her, but the worry in her eyes hadn't faded.

My dad was talking to Hugh in haste, also trying to figure out what had gotten me so distraught.

I looked at my mum, trying to gain composure. "Mum?"

"Yes, dear?"

"What did you do the first time someone…" My voice began to break, and I felt vile rise in my throat.

Mum put her hand on my shoulder, squeezing it lightly. "The first time someone what?"

"Rose!" I jumped at the call. I turned around from my family and was startled to see an angry-faced Scorpius heading my way.

"What the _hell_ were you thinking!?" he hissed at me. I could see my father go red from the corner of my eye. Dad had gotten used to Scorpius, but he was still rather wary to the fact that he's a Malfoy.

"What are you…" I started, but he butted ahead of me.

"Don't play stupid, Rose! You're dreadful at it! I can't believe you! I thought you were better than this!" Scorpius was shaking with anger. "You _hit_ her! You _hit_ my girlfriend!"

I heard a gasp from behind me and turned to see. My mother stood cross-armed an angry look radiating from her entire posture. "You _hit_ another student. Is that why you're so upset? Do you have _any idea_ how thick that is, Rose? What has gotten into you?"

My dad looked at me, head cocked to the side. I could read his face. _She deserved it, yeah? _Is what it read. He turned his eye from me after the tears came back again, as if that was the answer to his unspoken question, and looked down at my fuming mother, his shoulders slumped.

_What?_ This was utter _shit_. A searing fury rose to the top of me and everything went red. I could feel my fists clinching and my fingernails boring into the palms of my hands, sharp enough to make them bleed.

I spotted Ashby and set off in a rage. My Weasley fire burning hotter than firewhiskey. I muttered curses at her when I got within her earshot, and she just faked a pathetic little doe-eyed look. She was trying to put herself off as the victim. I barreled closer to her, my breathing getting heavy from the anger– I was closing in on her.

"Stop, Rose! I mean it." I was startled by the grip Scorpius took to my shoulders. I was even more startled at the sting in his tone. I stared at Scorpius, bewildered, but my anger hadn't died down. My mind hazed over and one thought possessed it. _She had won. Ashby had won. _I averted my gaze from Scorpius, and I glared at the bint who had ruined everything.

"_You foul, loathsome, evil little cockroach_!" I hissed at her, more venom placed in my words than a basilisk had in his fangs.

"I've had enough of you." My mind snapped back to the grip Scorpius had around my shoulders. I felt the grip tighten, and I noticed the dangerous tone to his voice. I felt Scorpius shake my shoulders, my legs weakening and the anger beginning to fall into something deeper. Something painful.

Tears began to stream down my face again for the second time that day. For the second time in my _life. _I pushed away from his grip and linked eyes with him. His dark, hateful look meeting my hurt, broken one. His eyes lightened, along with his grip, and I tried to pull myself out of it.

I looked around frantically. Looking for someone - _anyone - _who had taken my side.

I spotted my mother shaking her head, staring disgracefully at her ballet shoes.

I looked over at my dad and brother, who were eyeing me like I'd grown an extra head.

I caught Al and Lily both standing cross-armed, Lily staring daggers and Albus just staring.

My Aunt Lily and Uncle Harry seemed to be sharing Albus' reaction. Staring at me in bewilderment.

"Looks like little miss Rose Weasley fell off her high horse!" I followed the voice to a fourth year boy, Slytherin, laughing amongst his group of friends.

"Who knew that almighty Weasley could be so bloody mental?" One of the other boys chimed, riling them up further.

"Total nutter." A girl from the group added.

I started wording the letter in my head to the Headmistress about having the Slytherins de-fanged. And offered myself as a volunteer to the cause.

I closed my eyes, a sick feeling washing over me. I was perfectly humiliated.

"Rosie!" My eyes snapped open and I looked across the station towards the voice. My cousin Louis motioned for me to come to him with his hand. He seemed miles away from me, and I felt as if millions of eyes were burning holes into my skin.

I unbuttoned the bulk of my robes and tossed them aside, adding it to the rest of my scattered clothes. Still dressed in my uniform, I ran to Louis. I ran as fast as my trembling legs would take me.

I reached Louis and almost knocked him down due to the tight hug I gave him. He returned the hug and rocked me, soothingly, from side to side. "You didn't hit her."

I pulled away from him, confused. "What?"

"She ran into the door." Louis looked from me to his parents. "And I want to _murder_ her for calling you 'mudblood.'"

Uncle Bill's casual manner seemed on edge at the mention of such news. Aunt Fleur's beautiful face twisted in a way I couldn't quite comprehend.

Uncle Bill cleared his throat and shifted position towards the exit of the station. "Rose, dear, you're welcome to stay with us if you like. Until things get sorted out."

"Really?" My voice cracked and Aunt Fleur glanced down at me.

"Of course!" she said cheerfully. "I'll go tell your parents."

Louis sighed and looked at me with a grin. "Mum's _really_ pissed off."

I turned back towards Ashby, who was feigning a sob into Scorpius' shoulder.

I inhaled a stuttering breath, "She's not the only one pissed off."


	2. Break

**Chapter Two: Break**

Wanna know the secret message hidden in this chapter (because there's one in each!)? Google a line from the dialogue verbatim and you'll get sent to a song. The first person to get the correct songwill get to choose a song that I will base a chapter around in the sequel to this story (If it doesn't really fit the plot of the sequel, then I'll just name the chapter after the song and quote it in the chapter)! ****

"Rose?" I looked up from the fireplace towards my Aunt Fleur. "Your mother has owled. Again. She's worried about you."

I looked away, stubbornly. "Let her owl all she wants."

"Maybe you should talk with her, dear." I could feel the sympathy rolling off her words and bulldozing my pride.

"I'd rather jump in the fire over there." I motioned my head towards the hearth.

"I don't really think you have a choice in the matter, Rosie." I winced at the pet name and the hasty shift in her tone. "You're talking to your mum whether you want to or not."

"What do you mean?" I tried to mimic her tone, but it came out smaller and more nervous than I intended it to.

"The last owl said if you didn't respond, she'd apparate here. That was three hours ago, and you know as well as anyone that your mother's not one to fool around."

I felt the blood drain from my face. _Bloody freaking great._

"She's here?" I let out hoarsely.

Fleur nodded in a way that made me want to snap her head off. Or maybe even my own head. I hadn't decided.

I sighed and stood, mumbling a few coarse words under my breath.

"What happened?" Mum decided to break the dense and dreadfully uncomfortable silence.

I crossed my arms and lied. "I hit her. _Ashby the moaning cow_. She called me a minger, so I hit her."

"Then why were you so upset, Rose?" The tremor in her voice was familiar. It was the same tone I got when I couldn't figure something out. "That isn't like you."

"I haven't been feeling well, and she just ruined what was left of my good mood." That wasn't a lie. Well it was, but not completely. I had been feeling ill a few days before we were let out for break, and she did ruin my fine frame of mind.

"That's no excuse, Rose." Mum looked at me the same way she always did when hearing of me getting into fights. "You need to better keep your temper. You can't just keep attacking people when they upset you."

"I know." I faked a humbled tone. Why not just hit them, though? It always worked. In the past, I mean. Not to mention they never did it again, whatever it was I hit them for. Granted it was never a _real_ hit. Just a punch in the shoulder. And never to anyone outside my family.

"You need to abet your enemies, not take the Mickey out of them."

"Yes, mum. My altruistic ways will shine a light on our dark and angry world." I jeered, "Who am I kidding? I am not some Mother Theresa."

"No, of course not. I don't expect you to be, Rose. I just wish you'd think before acting out the way you do."

"I'm sorry, all right." I added hastily, "What is it you want from me?"

Mum looked taken aback by that. I'd never snapped at my mother before. I had this respect for her embedded into my brain so deep that it was impossible to remove without taking out my mind entirely. And I had to admit, it was almost exhilarating to talk to my mother the way my brother often does.

"I want you to come home," she said, her tone softening in a way only a mother's can. "We_ all_ want you to come home."

I looked down at my feet and glared murderously at the floor. Since, obviously, it was the all the French ceramic kitchen tile's fault that I was in this predicament. "Will you excuse me, mum, I have to use the lav."

I watched her nod and trudged towards the loo. I closed and locked the door shut behind me, trying my best to blink back the memory of the wretched train ride home.

Dad and Hugh always expected me to be levelheaded; after all I _am_ my bloody mother. Acting out in a way that makes me look remotely human just baffled the two of them. They'd put me up on a high horse, and I'd always fall off of it. It wasn't like I hadn't let them down before. I was a Ravenclaw whose best mate - _ex_ best mate - was a Malfoy for Merlin's sake. The first two things my father ever asked of me, I didn't heed to. _Get in Gryffindor, beat Malfoy at everything. _So why did they look at me the way they did? Just gaping like I'd unreservedly lost my marbles. Like I had just now, for the first time in my sixteen years, let them down.

Lily had all the right to look at me the way she did, with both anger and disappointment burning off her features. And Al had all the right in the world to look baffled at me. After all, he knew me better than anyone. And there was the promise, after all. The lot of us promised each other when we were young that, despite anything, we wouldn't hurt one of our own. I suppose Scorpius _is_ one of our own now.

I remembered talking to Lily near the beginning of Ashby's reign of terror. We pinky swore that neither of us would do anything to make her feel ostracized or hurt, no matter what she said or did to us. Lily said it would lead to nothing but chaos, and chaos never helps anyone.

Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny had been pretty wary of me since fourth year, when they caught me attached at the lips with James's best mate, Peter. Even though I hadn't been the one to initiate the snogging, I was the one held accountable. Evidently I was supposed to know better. Even though Peter was, and still is obviously, a good four years older than I am. The Potter parents had always thought of me as "Hermione's little girl." The one who knew the rules and was never supposed to break them. I supposed my outburst was rather embarrassing for the two of them.

Louis was my favorite at the moment. His corridor was facing the lav, and he stepped out when he heard all the fuss and recognized my voice in the midst of it. I wondered if he hadn't seen what he did, would he have believed me? I doubt it. Louis knows me about as well as I know my cousin Dominique, his older sister. That being not well at all.

I sighed, looking into the mirror. I looked like utter crap. Like a head cold slowly molding into the Black Death. I swear I could've scared a Boggart with the state my face was in just then.

I made a face in the mirror to try and cheer myself up a bit. It didn't matter, really. I was going to have to face my family sooner or later. And with my mother waiting for me in the kitchen, "sooner or later" seemed more like "now or poof, I'm facing them."

I turned on the sink and ran warm water over my hands. I hadn't realized how cold I was until then. I took a pool of water in my palms and splashed it on my face.

"Try the facial cream, dear, you look dreadful."

I jumped back from the mirror, making a sound that was a cross between a scared cat and my dad singing The Weird Sisters. I regained my composure after realizing that, yes, of course _a household filled with partial veelas would have a talking mirror_. It hummed a little laugh and said. "Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's all right. I've been off all week." I faked a smile towards the mirror, not sure of how it actually saw me.

"Try the facial cream. It'll give life back to your face."

I nodded. "Where might it be?"

"In the medicine cabinet, darling."

I was feeling odd about opening a relative stranger's medicine cabinet but did so anyway. I looked inside the cupboard's endless looking supply of creams, soaps, perfumes, and sprays. I glanced back over at the mirror. "Which one is it?"

"The one on the bottom shelf," the mirror, a "she" I presumed from her feminine voice, said to me.

I looked to the bottom and spotted it. A silver jar, more expensive looking than anyone- Scorpius aside- could afford. The cap alone looked priced higher than my life's worth. This, retrospectively, was quite sad. I removed the spherical bottle gently, my heart jolting at the mere thought of dropping it. I placed it down on the counter near the sink and unscrewed the lid.

A thick snow-white cream shimmered perfectly untouched in the jar. "Has it ever been used before? I don't want to be the first to use it; that's fairly intrusive."

The mirror laughed. Any action, if heard by a muggle, would get them sent to an asylum.

"It's enchanted, bird. It's been used hundreds of times. All you have to do is tell the jar what you want from it."

I blinked in confusion. "What I want from it? You mean if I say 'I want a pony' it'll turn my face into a pony? Isn't that dangerous for someone with an accent or speech disabilities? Or Luna, for that matter."

The mirror laughed again. Oh bother, but this was strange. "It knows what you _mean_, no matter what tongue you use to address it. You can say anything you want and it'll regard your wants."

"That's rather poetic," I said, turning from the mirror to the bottle.

"Close your eyes, deary, otherwise it won't work."

I did as I was told and whispered what I wanted to the magic face balm. "I want to look like I usually do when I'm happy."

I felt a tingling on my face, and it felt like something scurrying across my skin.

"You can open your eyes now" the mirror whispered, sounding pleased with herself. Or itself. Or whatever.

I opened my eyes and screwed the lid back on the jar, just as carefully putting it back into the cabinet as I had been in taking it out.

I turned towards the mirror again hoping that the cream didn't cause anything drastic or deforming. The sorts of things like moles or warts or hair and such; things that require a paper bag over your head. Because that _is not_ what I look like when I'm happy.

I was a little shocked at how much better I looked. I couldn't remember the last time I'd looked this nice. My skin was glowing, my lips were perfect, and my eyes were sparkling. I even had a little twinge of color to my cheeks. I looked gorgeous, although I didn't even know that was possible. "My Merlin, I do believe I've found it," I muttered to myself. 'It' being a reason to want to go home. Ha! I looked completely normal. I looked better than normal. I looked perfectly put-together.

"You look dashing, love," said the mirror.

"Thank you! That worked perfectly." I smiled towards the mirror again. "Good thing I don't have my mum's hair, or I would have looked like the undead."

I looked towards the door, remembering my mother. "Speaking of my mother, I have to go. But thank you… um… ma'am. For helping me."

The mirror laughed a light and breezy laugh and said you're welcome.

I focused on the easiness of her laugh as I opened the door and made my way, step by step, to my mother- and inevitably- the rest of my family.

"Rose, what took so long?" my mother asked, standing from the kitchen table.

"Sorry. The painters are in." I lied. Again.

"Oh dear, the painters around Christmas?" She sighed, finally looking at me. "That's unfortunate."

"Well, yes, but it should end today. Thank God." I smiled at her, something I usually did when I lied to her. Lying to my mother being something I've never gotten used to.

"That's good, love." She paused, returning my smile with one of her beaming-mother looks. You know the one, right? It's usually followed by misty eyes, and her wailing "YOU'VE GROWN UP SO WONDERFULLY! TIME IS SUCH A SHORT FUSE! ONE OF THESE DAYS YOU'LL HAVE BABIES OF YOUR OWN!" Rubbish like that.

"You're growing up every day, Rosie." There, see. I told you it'd be there. I looked at my mother, and couldn't help but to feel a daughterly flutter in my chest. Despite all the differences, and the mass number of us, my family and I have always been close. Although my mother and I never really bonded the way most do. We grew more like colleagues at a library; someone the other person could rely on for intellectual stimulation. We're both known for how much and how often we read, and I was surprised to realize the literature that I enjoy was the same literature my mother did when she was my age.

"Are you ready to go now?" she asked, as I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded yes.

"Oh, um, may I say bye to Louis?"

My mother sighed. "You'll see him in three days, Rosie."

I imitated her sigh. "Alright, alright. Let's go then."


End file.
